Northland Man's Life Saved By His Dog

Takahue farm worker Pete Roy was preparing to saddle up his horse about four weeks ago, when his bowel burst.

Mr Roy was lucky he had his huntaway-collie cross Max with him, and he helped save his life.  

Pete, 54, crawled from a paddock to his home, blood from his mouth covering his face. Max howled in distress until Mr Roy ordered "Go get Angie" and his mate for 10 years hared off to Angela Rose-Collins' home about 500m down the road.

She was doing housework when Max arrived. He's a regular visitor so she gave him a pat and sent him on his way.

But Max came back three times, and on his last visit he took off with Angela's foxy, Roxy, back down the road to Pete's house, where he put his paw on the little dog so she couldn't run home.

Ms Rose-Collins went looking for Roxy, and St John Ambulance officers she called to take Mr Roy to Whangarei Hospital said he would have died in an hour if they hadn't arrived.

Surgeons at the hospital sewed up the burst bowel, fitting Mr Roy with a colostomy bag to be removed in about six months.

What an amazing story! 

Dogs really are a man's best friend.